Utah won't squirm. Even if we win both of the next two, they won't squirm. That's the difference in this series: The Rockets think they can beat the Jazz. The Jazz know they can beat the Rockets. You can see it in their faces, most likely due to their taking game 7 on our home court last year. I think we'd have to win the next THREE before we could get them to squirm.
Kobe can't do it all by himself? First let me say that I agree that this team should not be expected to compete on the same level as the Jazz, with or without Yao. Jazz are a savvy vet team who has more talent in their top seven, overall than we do and have been together, for the most part for several years under the maste coach Sloan. As far as flopping, let's not forget Divacs and the gang under Adelman! They were master floppers and used to get as many complaints as anyone in their hey day. Now about TMac. Kobe does not get worn out playing forty minutes every night. Why should TMac? Kobe carry's his team without excuses. He is Mr 4th quarter as is Lebron, also a number of other players who are not deemed to be at these guy's level. Why no TMac? Good season though. Tracy needs help. It's obviuos after years of underachievement and even the great season we have had that we have too many one dimensional or limited players. More then we have minutes. Head, Hayes and maybe one or two others should be upgraded if possible.
Tracy played an incredible game, both offensively and defensively. In a lot of ways its ridiculous to even be sitting here saying the words "blame" and "tmac" in the same sentence. This guy gave us his all....i agree that he shouldnt be saying things like "my legs were tired" and all that ****, but can you seriously expect him to carry a whole team (NOTE: whose next best player is a ROOKIE) past a legitimate title contender??? We sometimes forget to realize that we shouldnt even be in the playoffs right now...thats how bad our team looks on paper....you all are spoiled. Give the guy his credit, it would have been the ugliest blowout if tmac didnt play the way he did. It was other players that werent hitting their shots. Don't blame tmac.
Kobe can't do it all by himself. He won his titles WITH Shaq. Since Shaq left, he hasn't been out the first round, just like T-Mac. And let's not forget how we quit during the 2nd half of Game 7 against the Suns. Now, the Lakers are having their best season, and he isn't alone. Some guy named Pau has played a big part. Hell, he was the reason they beat the Nuggets because Kobe was jacking up shot after shot.
Tracy was fantastic last night. I think you could fault him for dishing to Scola once when he probably should have tried to finish against Boozer, for missing a wide open corner 3, and for missing a couple FT's. Other than that, he played a marvelous game. He took over there in the 2nd to keep us in it and by the 4th was taking what the defense was giving him as they were noticeably hedging off the pick much harder late in the game to make him give it up. I strongly disagree with anyone who thinks he was just passing to try to get a triple double. He played hard on both ends and yet some complain... Is the rest of our team scrubs? Well no, but Utah certainly looks a lot better on paper. TMac needs to keep doing what he did last night and we have a genuine shot at winning this thing.
lol @ the notion that kobe carries his team. last time i checked, he's got 2 straight up studs in pau gasol and lamar odom (forget his history, he is absolutely balling this year). and unlike tmac, kobe's role players don't have this nasty habit of missing wide open shots. his roster is riddled with players shooting great from the field and from the 3. unlike tmac, kobe can go to the bench without worrying about his team's ability to score. unlike tmac, kobe doesn't have to create every shot for his teammates. unlike tmac, kobe doesn't have to carry his team.
Simple boys. Kobe and his Lakers just made up the numbers without Shaq and before they got Gasol. Same as us Rockets without Yao Ming. Every superstar needs some talent around him that have chemistry and complement eachother to be successfull.
Rox are playing without half of their team, I say half because Yao is probably the most important player and without Rafer Alston, season full of injuries and a bad start but we accomplished what there is, everything in playoffs are like a lotto.
